The United Nations has designated 2014 as 1) International Year of Family Farming, 2) International Year of Crystallography, and 3) International Year of Small Island Developing States (or SIDS, who worry that if the oceans rise, they could become SUDS — Small Underwater Drowned States).

UNITED STATESObamacare, Jan. 1

Under President Obama’s endlessly disputed and endlessly complicated health care law, this is the day insurance coverage will start for the first Americans who managed to get through the troubled enrollment process.

LATVIAJoins the euro zone, Jan. 1

For all the problems in the euro zone, it’s still spreading. With Latvia, there will be 18 countries in the zone, and 22 territories (with Andorra, Monaco, the Vatican and the Most Serene Republic of San Marino) using the euro.

The 44th conclave of what W.E.F. calls ‘‘The World’s Foremost Multistakeholder Community of Leaders.’’ This year’s theme: “The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business.’’

SOCHI, RUSSIAWinter Olympic Games, Feb. 7-23

Sochi is a subtropical resort city, but the Caucasus Mountains rise to snowy heights. The controversies will add to the sport.

PINGXI, TAIWANSky Lantern Festival, Feb. 14

Buy a one-meter (three-foot) lantern, write your wishes on it, light the candle and watch your hopes float to the heavens. As many as 200,000 lanterns are released over the remote mountain town an hour’s drive from Taipei. Centuries ago the lanterns signaled that it was safe to return to the village after a raid by bandits. Today they signal the end of the Chinese New Year.

MAUI, HAWAIIWorld Whale Day, Feb. 15

Thousands of lucky whales swim to Maui each year to mate and calve, and the celebrations include a Parade of Whales along South Kihei Road. No, these are nautical-themed floats; the humpback whales do their thing offshore.

EVERYWHEREMoustache Month, March

In 2003, a bunch of guys in Wilsonville, Oregon, decided to start Moustache Month to follow Optional Shave October, No Shave November, Don’t Shave December, Just Grow it January and Facial Hair February. The idea is to grow some upper lip hair for a cause.

At 838 meters. or 2,749 feet, it will become the world’s tallest building, outstripping the incumbent, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, by 10 meters. The Empire State Building reigned as the tallest from 1931 to 1973, and the Sears Tower in Chicago from 1973 to 1996. Since then, buildings across the Middle East and Asia have taken turns being tallest.

SOUTH AFRICAYouth Day, June 16

On this day in 1976, black students rioted in Soweto over a decree making Afrikaans lessons compulsory in their schools. Hundreds of youths were killed, and the image of a 13-year-old victim, Hector Pieterson, became an icon of the anti-apartheid movement.

EVERYWHEREThe iPhone turns 7, June 29

Yep, it’s been seven years since Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone and changed the industry and our lives. There are now eight models and counting, and more are being purchased every day than there are babies being born.

BUÑOL, SPAIN La Tomatina, Aug. 27

Trucks dump mountains of tomatoes on the Plaza del Pueblo, and at 11 a.m. water cannons give the signal to start throwing them at one another for up to two hours. Last August, 50,000 people showed up and threw 40 tons of tomatoes, but this year the town is limiting the food fight to 20,000 paid ticket-holders.

SCOTLANDIndependence referendum, Sept. 18

It’ll most likely be No, but the Yes crowd won’t take no for an answer, raising the possibility of Quebec-style neverendum.

ANYWHARRRInternational Talk Like a Pirate Day, Sept. 19

This festival was utterly unknown until Dave Barry wrote a humor column in 2002 about how John Baur and Mark Summers came up with the idea: ‘‘They were playing racquetball, and, as so often happens, they began talking like pirates. And then it struck them: Why not have a day when EVERYBODY talks like a pirate?’’ The key is to say ‘‘arrrr’’ and ‘‘avast’’ a lot.

BRAZIL Presidential election, Oct. 5

Dilma Rousseff is favored for re-election, but Marina Silva, a former senator and environment minister, is challenging her. On election day a lot of Brazilians may still be celebrating — or mourning — the results of the World Cup (see June 12).

It coincides with All Saints’/All Souls’ Day and it has skulls and skeletons and black humor, but it is not Halloween. The Day of the Dead descends from a pre-Hispanic Mexican feast in which the goddess Mictecacihuatl led people in honoring the dead.

ANTARCTICALast Desert Marathon, Nov. 1-11

Only those who have proved themselves in two of the other three desert marathons (the Atacama Crossing in Chile; the Gobi March in China; the Sahara Race in Egypt) are considered for the ultimate Four Deserts challenge: seven days and 250 kilometers, or 155 miles, over Antarctica, carrying your own food and equipment.

MOST PLACESWorld Toilet Day, Nov. 19

It’s intended to raise awareness of the struggle faced by the 2.5 billion people who don’t have access to a proper, clean toilet. The organization WaterAid suggests showing solidarity by downloading a toilet seat template and sitting on it all day.

AFGHANISTAN U.S. troops complete withdrawal, Dec. 31

Operation Enduring Freedom began a month after the terror attacks of September 2001. Will it really be a complete withdrawal? The answer in next year’s magazine.